


The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by deepspaceprincess



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: 5+1, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shops, M/M, Pining, Stucky Secret Santa 2017, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 12:24:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13146639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepspaceprincess/pseuds/deepspaceprincess
Summary: Five times Bucky contemplates asking Steve out and the one time Steve basically beats him to it.





	The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [midnighhts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnighhts/gifts).



> This is my Stucky Secret Santa gift to late-nighhts! I hope you enjoy!

1.

Bucky surreptitiously looked up from the espresso machine he was cleaning toward the corner of the coffee shop. Next to him, Darcy bumped his hip with hers, startling him out of his reverie. 

“You keep staring like that and he's bound to notice,” she quipped, grinning when Bucky started to blush.  
“I'm not staring,” he countered, even though he totally was. 

It was hard not to, the blond at the corner table was beautiful. He had been coming into the coffee shop regularly for almost two months now. Bucky knew his usual drink (a decaf vanilla latte) because he had made it more times than he could count. Two weeks ago Darcy had finally taken pity on Bucky and told him the man's name. Steve. Steve. It was such an unassuming name for who Bucky was pretty sure was the most attractive man he'd ever seen. So of course he stared. Steve had a slight frame and would most likely barely reach Bucky's chin if they stood close enough. He had a mop of blond hair that he was always pushing out of his face. Bucky tried not to categorize every little thing about how Steve looked, but it was difficult when the man sat where Bucky worked for hours at time. 

“Why don't you talk to him?” Darcy asked quietly as she stocked cups for Bucky.  
“I don't wanna be that guy,” Bucky answered.  
“What guy?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. 

“The guy who tries to hit on someone at work. That's gross.”  
“Your staring is what's gross dude,” Darcy retorted, earning a scowl from Bucky.   
“I hate you,” Bucky muttered right as someone walked up to the register and Darcy danced away from him, smirking. 

Bucky glared after her and then went back to cleaning his area and not staring at Steve as he worked in the corner. Steve always came into the shop to sketch and drink his coffee (always decaf). The first day he showed up at the little coffee shop Bucky had silently freaked out to himself. He had never been so immediately attracted to another person and worried that he was staring too much. Darcy caught on pretty quickly and enjoyed teasing him relentlessly whenever Steve dropped by, even though Bucky kept insisting that he wasn’t staring. Bucky didn’t do well with crushes (even though he hated to call it that at his age) and had hoped that it would pass or his attraction would die down. 

It didn’t. 

2.

The shop was packed full of holiday shoppers and two of the baristas had called in sick thanks to a recent bought of freezing rain that swept through the city. Bucky had taken over at the register so one of his co-workers could finally take their break. It wasn't his usual workplace and it had taken a while for him to get back into the swing of working the register. Darcy was next to him taking orders like a pro while America worked two machines at once, pounding out orders. Bucky was finishing up writing on a cup before he passed it to America and looked up to the next customer. It took all his willpower not to swear when he saw Steve standing at his register, smiling softly. 

“Good afternoon,” Bucky finally said after way too long, “Decaf vanilla latte right?”

He froze after saying it, his mouth working before his brain could stop it. Steve raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't drop his smile.

“Uh, yeah actually,” he answered, glancing briefly over in Darcy's direction.  
“Sorry, I um, make your drink a lot, so I kinda know it at this point,” Bucky explained awkwardly, trying to to save face.

Steve waved Bucky off as he reached for his wallet.

“Darcy knows my drink now too, which tells me just how much I come here, but this is the closest place that isn't Starbucks. Or at least that's my excuse,” he went on, his face turning bright red as he handed his card over. 

Bucky told him the price even though he likely knew it and ran the card, the two of them standing in silence. He wrote Steve's name on a cup and passed it along to America before handing Steve's card back over. 

“Thanks Bucky,” Steve said as he put his card away, “I hope it slows down for you soon.” 

Steve waved shortly before making his way to a free table, leaving Bucky to stand there like an idiot for a moment wondering how Steve knew his name. The next customer in line cleared her throat loudly, drawing Bucky's attention to her. He apologized profusely before taking her order and trying not to replay every second of his encounter with Steve. Bucky couldn’t help thinking about how Darcy told him to just ask Steve out already. It seemed easy enough in theory but for some reason Bucky was having the hardest time working himself up to it. He wasn’t usually shy about asking other people out. Steve was different though, he was genuinely nice and as cliche as it sounded Bucky got butterflies every time he saw Steve come into the store. Bucky felt completely out of his element with Steve, which was making his dilema harder than it needed to be. 

3.

Saturdays were, in Bucky's opinion, the worst day to work. The shop barely had any lulls in business, which meant the place was pretty much full the whole day meaning he had no place to sit for lunch. Usually he didn't care if there weren't any open tables because he took his lunch elsewhere, but he was in between paychecks and had just paid his rent. Darcy, the angel, had brought him a sandwich along with a few little odds and ends, but the shop didn't have a break room so that left him scanning the dinning area and hoping that someone would move before his break was up. 

Bucky was about to give up to go squat in the alley when he noticed Steve in his corner, waving Bucky over. He was at his usual table which sat two and had moved his bag from the other chair as Bucky walked over. 

“You look like a kid in school who no one wants to sit with,” Steve teased, grinning up at Bucky from his seat.   
“Ah, the good old days,” Bucky shot back, smirking as Steve motioned for him to use the other chair.   
“Well now I just feel plain bad,” he joked.

Bucky shrugged before pulling the contents of the lunch Darcy had made out of the polka-dot lunch bag she provided. 

“That's what you get for making fun of me, see if I ever make your coffee right again,” Bucky retorted. 

Steve laughed at Bucky's exaggerated scowl but didn't say anything to follow up. They lapsed into silence after that, which should have been awkward, but wasn't. The buzzing of the shop invaded Bucky's mind as he started on his lunch, trying to space out so he could have some sort of break even though he didn't get to leave the shop. Across from him Steve had gone back to his sketchbook and was wrapped up in his own little world. 

It ended up being one of the better lunches Bucky had experienced even if it was over too quickly. Once his time was up he thanked Steve, who barely looked up from what he was working on as he grunted in response. Darcy continued to give Bucky smug looks for the first twenty minutes he was back on shift, occasionally throwing in kissy faces for good measure. 

Bucky couldn't help but be upset when about an hour later Steve started packing up to leave. He was getting closer and closer to taking Darcy's advice and asking him out, but was still too terrified to do so. Steve, from what Bucky knew, seemed to be a nice person. Bucky didn't want to read too much into that and gross Steve out by taking his kindness for attraction. As Steve finished packing up to leave Bucky noticed him glancing over toward the counter a lot. He finally rushed over and shoved a piece of paper in Bucky's hand before hurrying out the door. Bucky shot Darcy a questioning look, but she just shrugged at him in response. 

When Bucky had a moment a bit later he pulled out the piece of paper and unfolded it to see a very well done sketch of himself sitting at the table across from Steve. The back of the paper had a little note from Steve that just said “I hope you don't think this is creepy”. Bucky couldn't wipe the smile off his face for the rest of his shift and refused to tell Darcy why. 

4.

Steve came in on Thursdays and Saturdays. Bucky wasn't sure how happy he was that he knew that, but whatever. That meant that Bucky had to wait five days to see Steve again after he shoved a drawing at him and left like his (adorable) ass was on fire. Cue Bucky trying to pretend he wasn't counting down the days until Thursday like he was waiting to get paid. He wallowed in a whole lot of self denial for five days only for Steve to not show up at all on Thursday. 

“He's sick,” Darcy said out of the blue as she and Bucky cleaned up the shop for closing.  
“What?” Bucky asked, peeking over the counter at her.  
“Steve,” she clarified, “He's sick. That's why he didn't come in today.”

Bucky stood up and set the cups he was restocking on the counter.

“And how do you know this?”

Darcy stared at him across the room, moving the mop in front of her like she might try to brandish it as a weapon. 

“He's my friend's boyfriend's roommate. He moved in with Thor a few months back, around the same time he started coming in here,” she admitted.

Bucky wanted to ask what kind of a person was named “Thor” but was a bit more concerned with the tidbit of information Darcy had just laid on him.

“You know Steve. As in, you've probably seen him outside of work?”  
“Yep,” she confirmed, popping the “p” at the end.

“So, you know the guy I've been crushing on for the better part of three months?”  
“You never admitted to having a crush on him Bucky!” she argued, pointing at him accusingly.   
“Because I'm twenty-five Darce! I'm not supposed to have crushes on people.”

Darcy scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“That's a load of bullshit. I would have been willing to help you out earlier if you'd just admitted that you liked the guy. I wasn't planning to say anything until then but you just looked so goddamn sad today moping around like a lost puppy.”  
“I was not moping,” he countered, only to gain an unbelieving look from Darcy, “Ok, maybe I was, but still.” 

“See, you need to stop denying everything and just own up to the fact that you like Steve. He's a great guy and I've been wanting to set you two up since like the second day I met the dude but then he came in here and you went all, “stoic I-don't-like-Steve-even-though-I'm-staring-at-him-all-day”, and I sure as hell wasn't going to help if you wouldn't even admit to your feelings man that shit ain't healthy.” 

The two of them stared at each other for a few tense moments before Bucky sighed, letting the tension drain out of him.

“You've got a point,” he mumbled.  
“Yeah, I know,” Darcy shot back, putting her hands on her hips, “And now that you've finally freaking said out loud that you like Steve, I can start working my magic, because Lord knows you're not doing too well on your own.” 

“I told you, I don't wanna be that guy who asks out a customer,” he argued.  
“Ok, that's reasonable, would you ask out a mutual acquaintance?” she asked. 

Bucky considered her for a second before nodding.

“Alright then. Saturday night is my holiday party. I was planning to invite you anyway, but now I'll actually do what I can to make sure Steve goes. Just don't say I never did anything for you.”

“I wouldn't say that,” Bucky grumbled, pursing his lips at her.  
“Fine, then take a shift for me and we'll call it even,” she said, winking playfully at him before going back to mopping the dinning area and leaving Bucky to have a melt down in silence.

He loved Darcy to no end and would try not to waste the chance she was giving him. 

5.

When Saturday rolled around Bucky was half expecting not to see Steve again and wound up pleasantly surprised when the blond made a point to say “hi” as Bucky was making his drink. He still looked a little under the weather, but smiled at Bucky none the less. 

“Darcy said you're going to her party tonight?” Steve asked, leaning slightly on the counter as he watched Bucky.   
“Yeah, though from what I know her parties are more like get togethers,” Bucky laughed, before finding enough courage to ask, “You planning on going?”

Steve hummed an affirmative answer as he nodded. 

“I wasn't sure at first, but she talked me into it,” he said.   
“Guess I'll see you there,” Bucky replied, before handing over Steve's drink.   
“Guess you will,” he returned, making prolonged eye contact with Bucky.

Steve took his drink and was about to walk away when Bucky called out loudly enough to get his attention back. 

“Thanks for the drawing,” he said, smiling what Darcy called his flirty smile.

A look of alarm crossed Steve's face briefly before he managed to school it and nod awkwardly to Bucky, his whole face taking on a cute pink hue. Darcy hip checked him the next time she got close enough to and danced away cackling when he tried to swat her away. He was looking forward to the party and hoped that everything would work out in his favor. Bucky was determined to finally work up the courage to ask Steve out, half for himself and half so Darcy would leave him alone.

+1.

Bucky, for once in his life, was not early to a party. He wasn't even fashionably late. Bucky was downright late thanks to the closing shift key manager coming down with a case of violent vomiting ten minutes before Bucky was supposed to get off his shift. That meant he had to close since he was the only other person able to handle keys besides the owner (and no way in hell was he calling Logan to deal with that). So by the time he closed up, rushed home to shower and change (which included managing his stupidly long hair), and then made it to Darcy's, he was over two hours late. Darcy had been sending him increasingly angry texts cursing out the other key holder and using GIFs to express her disdain. Thankfully, even as late as he was, Steve was still hanging around by the time he showed up. 

The moment Bucky was through the front door of Darcy's apartment she was shoving a cup of something that smelled like it could take paint off a wall into his hand. She was promptly ushering him further into her dwelling, talking a mile a minute about the insane Mario Kart tournament he had missed. As they walked through the kitchen Bucky spotted Natasha who snatched the cup out of his hand and replaced it with a bottle of beer, all without breaking their stride. Nat followed them into the living room where Clint was raging over a game of Smash Brothers he was playing against an impossibly large blond man.

“That's Thor,” Darcy announced, pointing to the blond, who was button mashing and still somehow winning.   
“He's big,” Bucky commented, not really sure what else to say. 

Nat nodded sagely next to him as she sipped the cup she took from him. Bucky scanned the rest of the living room, obviously looking for Steve, who was curled up in one of Darcy's ridiculous armchairs. He was laughing as Clint grew progressively angrier at Thor. Darcy, apparently content that she had done her due diligence as hostess, flounced away to go sit next to a girl Bucky had never met. 

“Darcy introduced me to Steve,” Nat said, smirking.  
“Oh, good. Now he'll never take me seriously,” Bucky teased, takin a swig from his own drink.  
“I was nothing but nice,” she hissed, stepping on his toe before taking her own leave to squeeze between Clint and Sam on the couch. 

Bucky kept to himself only until Steve caught his eye from the other side of the living room and motioned for him to join. He ended up perching half of his ass on the overly large armrest of the chair Steve was in when the smaller man insisted it was alright. 

“I was afraid you wouldn't make it,” Steve said, smiling up at him.  
“Yeah well, there was an issue at work unfortunately,” Bucky told him, shrugging like it had been no big deal. 

“Either way, I'm glad you made it. You were right about Darcy's parties too, this is definitely more low key than I was expecting from her.”   
“Darcy is surprisingly introverted sometimes. Other times she's not. My recommendation to you, don't go to her New Years party,” Bucky warned seriously. 

Steve laughed and was getting ready to speak when Clint suddenly jumped up from the couch.

“I'm done!” he shouted, before stomping off to the balcony. 

The crowd watched quietly as he went, before bursting back into conversations. Bucky was promptly pulled away from Steve to join the next match even though he wasn't particularly interested. He was a good sport and played anyways, managing to barely beat Nat.

It was almost four games later before Bucky was able to beg off to go scrounge through the cold pizza in the kitchen. He was mildly surprised when Steve joined him, claiming he wanted to enjoy the quiet that the kitchen held for a while. Steve hopped up onto the counter and settled in as Bucky found a couple of leftover pieces of pizza and dug in. They held companionable conversation as they hung out and Bucky was secretly glad that no one came in to bug them (probably thanks to Darcy and Nat). 

Bucky ended up moving to stand by the counter right to next to Steve after he finished eating and found that Steve was gradually leaning closer to Bucky as well. He kept catching Steve shyly glancing over at him as they talked, only to flick his eyes away as soon as he was caught. Then, during the next lull in their conversation Bucky looked over to see Steve staring at him again. This time however, neither one of them looked away immediately. Steve's eyes looked impossibly blue up close and Bucky couldn't help but notice them flickering down towards his lips as they stood in tense silence. 

“Would you freak out if I kissed you?” Steve asked quietly, like he was trying not to scare the moment away.  
“Definitely not,” Bucky answered, the words barely out of his mouth before Steve was in his space. 

Steve's hands were gentle as they cupped his face and turned it up enough for him to stoop down and kiss Bucky. It was soft and tentative, giving Bucky just barely enough time to kiss back before Steve was pulling away. Bucky moved a hand to small of Steve's back to keep him from going too far, but he didn't seem too eager to move away as it were. 

“I've been wanting to do that for a good long while now,” Steve admitted, blushing.   
“Yeah, me too,” Bucky agreed, smiling slowly.   
This time he was the one to lean in, giving Steve another short kiss through their smiling.  
“I suppose I should ask you out on a date huh?” Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow.   
“Hmm, probably,” Steve answered, “I know this great coffee shop we can go to. One of the baristas there is real cute.” 

The two of them laughed and while Bucky was elated that everything had worked out, he was worried about how much he was going to owe Darcy for this. 

End!

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me at Tumblr dot com @deepspaceprincess


End file.
